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Ltters Patent No. 101,060, dated March 22, 1870; antedatedMarch A16, 1870.

ccmnmnn Mowrza AND HEDGETRIMMER.

The Schedule referred to in these Le'tters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whoiait may concern Be it known that I, J. OSCAR TABER, of Salem, in

.the county of Columbiana and the State-of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in the Construction-of ACombined' Mowing and Hedge-Trimming Machines,

Aof which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification, in whichn Figure l is a perspective view of the machine as a mower; Y

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing in red lines the outer end of the cutter-bar elevated, as in passing over obstructions; Figure 3 is a rear elevation ofthe machine as a hedge-trinuner;

Figure 4 represents a hook,-used in suspending the shoe and cutter-bar, as in fig. 3; and

Figure 51s -a longitudinal section of shoe ou outer end of the cutter-bar, showing the manner of attaching the track-clearer. v

' Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The extensive use of hedges in the west has rendered a machine for trimming them expeditiously almost a necessity, and there is a growing demand for a machine which is a first class mower, and which at the same time can be easily and with but little expense converted into an e'ective hedge-trimmer. My machine answers all of these requirements, as will be seen from the following description:

A A are the wheels.

.B is the axle. C, the main frame.

1n the arms O C" is shafted the bevel-wheel D, driven by the spur-wheel E, engaging with the pinion E", said arms C' C being attached to a sleeve on the axle B, thus allowing a vibratory motion of the wheel D and pinion E', without becoming disengaged from l the Wheel E.

The frame Fis hinged to the shaft of the bevel- Wheel D, and vibrates in au'arc of a circle ofwhich said shaft is the center.

In a tubular bearing, Il", on this vibrating frame, is

Amounted the crank-shaft K, to one end oi which is keyed the beveled pinion Idriving said crankshaft and the cutter by means 'of the pitman'G. l

H is a drag-plate and slice, hinged to the frame F bythe sleeve H', surrounding thev tubular bearing F This drag plate is expanded inward toward the main flame, and provided witl'a ing, '71, g.- 3.

, A grooved or recessed rest or stay, I, is formed upon or4 attached to the frame F. This rest is in the form of an arc, the center of which' is the crankshaft K, thus allowing the lug h tornove up and down in it, as required, when using the machine as a mower. This deviceassists materially iu supporting the cutter-barv against backward strain, and relievingthe hinge formed by the sleeve H and tubular bearing F from the heavy strain which it would otherwise have to bear.

L is a lever, rigidly attached to a shaft rotating in the bearing L.

Said shaft is provided with a crank-arm, l, through -which, in connection with the link Zc and lug i, the

height of the cutter-bar from the ground is adjusted.

m is a toothed wheel, upon the same shaft with thelever L and crank-arm Z.

'in' is a foot-latch, pivoted upon the mainframe, and engaging at one end with the toothed wheel m, for the purpose of maintaining any desired elevation of the cutting-apparatus.

N is au arm'upon shaft N', operated by lever 0.

'P is a chain, attached .at one end to arm N, and at the other to hook o, on the vibrating frame F.

By these last-named devices, the driver can raise the outer end of the cutter-bar by depressing the inner end ofthe drag-plate and shoe,.the shoe Q serving as a fulcrum for that purpose.

S is a fest,.-provided with a notch or recess at its upper ein? to receive the lug'hf. This yrest I make preferably in'an arc of a circle, corresponding to the arc ot' stay I, in order'that when said rest S is secured` in stay I,'the notch in the Aupper end shall be always in position tc receive lugh.

V isa track-clearer, composed of a forked iron hanger, o, provided with a hook at one end, the swath-v board V and the stail v1, secured to the swath-board by the metallic socket c, held by bolts o r other suitable device.

The track-clearer is lattached to the outer shoe on the cutter-bar by hooking or hinging it upon the piu x', between the ears :1: projecting from the upper surface of said-shoe, as showp .in fig. 5.

l is a carrier or guide, of suitable material and shape to adapt it to pass under such laterall twigs or limbs as may lie close to the ground, and bring them 'up within reach of the cutters.

I do not consider it necessary to enter into a detailed description of my machine as a mower, preferring to explain more .at length the manner ofconverting it-into a hedge-trimmer. To do this, I take ol` the shoe'Q, and put in its place the hook It, iig. 4; then detaching the chain from hook o and arm N, attach one end to the hook R, and the other to the hook r, on the main frame, as may be required, to effect thedesired elevation of the drag-,plate H; or the shoe Q may beleft on and the hook It secured on the upper surface of the same by' one of the bolts used to fasten it, as shown in fig. 3, thus supporting the frameF and inner end of drag-plate H then by means of the rest S an exact arc of a circle,`corresponding to that described by the stay I, support the outer end of the y pr l, 1

drag-plate and the cutter-bar at such an angleV as may be desired, the rest S being secured to the' stay I in any suitable manner. y

One feature in the construction of my machine,

lwhich adapts it more perfectly to be used as a hedgetrimmer, is this, in the machines now in use, the heel -of the cutter-bar can only` be elevated to' the proper height for reaping, lso that if we carry the -cuter end up high enough to trirnoif' the top of the hedge, we are obliged to set it (the cutter) up nearly perpendicular. This is objectionable, because it cuts the upper part ofthe hedge toothin, and for other reasons; but in my machine this difiiculty is obviated, from the fact that the cutter-bar instead of being hinged just at its' heel, has its center of motion transferred by means of the drag-plate and shoe H, to a point midway or thereabouts between the wheels. The eifect of this arrangement is, that whenever the outer 'end of the cutting apparatus is elevated,the inner end is also elevated in proportion to its distance'frorn the crank-shaft K, said crank-shaft being the center of vibration of both the drag-plate H and cutter-bar. This enables me toV maintain the cutting apparatus while trimming the top of the'hedge in a position n'early horizontal.

Another point which isgained by this construction is, that at whatever 'angle the cutters may be set, the pitman will vibrate .them freely, and without any cramping, from the fact that the cutters and pitinan must always maintain the same relative position to each other.

Having thus described the construction and opera -tionf of my machine, l

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a two-wheeled combined mowing-machine and hedge-trimmer, a hinged cutting apparatus, which is adapted to conform to the surface of the ground in mowing, and to bc set at any desired angle from the ground without changing either the cutting-apparatus or the mechanism for operating the same, in combination with devices substantially as set forth, or themechanical equivalents thereof', for supporting said cutting apparatus at the desired angle.

2. The rest" S, constructed and operating as sct forth.

3. The hook R, in combination with thc chain 1),

drag-plate H, main frame 4C, and the rest S, or its equivalent, whereby the machine is changed from a mower to a hedge-trimmer, as set forth.

e 4. The guide or carrier W, in combination with thc drag-plate H.I

5. The track-clearer, constructed and applied substantially as set forth.

viritnesses: l

EDWARD KENNEN?, THOMAS KnNNn'r'r- J. oscar. Tanna. 

